Looper for reversible-feed sewing-machines.



No. 783,411. PATENTED FEB. 28. 1905.

J. BIGELOW.

LOOPER FOR REVERSIBLE FEED SEWING MACHINES.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 2a. 1903.

4 SHEETSSHEET 1.

By owlap No. 783,411. PATENTED FEB. 28. 1905. J. BIGELOW.

LOOPER FOR REVERSIBLE FEED SEWING MACHINES.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT, 26. 1903.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

m'z/z/vraz? J04 5 7 W No. 783,411. PATENTED FEB. 28, 1905.

J. BIGELOW. LOOPER EOE REVERSIBLE FEED SEWING MACHINES.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 26, 1903.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

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PATENTE D FEB. 28, 1905. J. BIGELOW.

LOOPER FOR REVERSIBLE FEED SEWING MACHINES.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 26. 1903.

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NITED STATES Patented February 28, 1905.

PATENT FFICE.

JOHN BIGELOW, OF MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 783,411, dated February 28, 1905.

Application filed September 26, 1903. Serial No. 174,702.

To all whmn it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN BIGELOW, of Minneapolis, in the county of Hennepin, State of Minnesota, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Loopers for Reversible- Feed Sewing-lvlachines, of which the following is a specification.

The object ofmy invention is to adapt the ordinary sewing-machine for sewing either backward or forward, so that parallel seams may be made by the operator without turning the work beneath the presser-foot, or seams may be strengthened, where desired, by double sewing.

In single-thread sewing-machines, to which the details of my mechanism more particularly refer, by running a backward seam closely parallel with or over the forward seam for a short distance the latter will be tied atits end and will not easily pull out or run. Further, since the looping will be made in opposite di rections and can only be pulled out in the direction in which it is made the double seam may be cut and the material trimmed without weakness, which is often desirable in dressmaking. This feature increases the usefulness of single-threadmachines.

I have shown my improvements applied to the machine known to the trade as the VVill- COX 8:; Gibbs Automatic, and the mechanical changes relate more particularly to the threadlooper and the feeding mechanism. Without changing the present forward actuating feed mechanism I have devised an independent backward actuating mechanism with means for transferring the control of the movement of the feed-dog carriage, carrying the feed dog from one mechanism to the other without the necessity of stopping the machine. W ith the forward feed for a new stitch the old loop' in the workthat is, the one last made-will be moved back (as the operator sits) of the point of perforation of the needle, while the part of the old loop on the looper beneath the work-plate is spread forward (toward the operator) of the line of descent of the needle. so that the needle will easily enter the same, and the looper-hook will takeanew loop from the needle, pass it through the old loop, and free itself from the latter in making a stitch. With the old loop, however, placed in the material by a backward feed forward of the needle-that is, on the side of the needle toward the operatorand the looper spreading the parts ofthe same, which itholds, forward of the descending needle, the conditions are changed, the needle will not enter the old loop, and the looper cannot deliver it around the new loop which it takes from the needle, and hence no stitch will be made. To overcome this difiiculty without changing the shape or time of movement of the looper-hook, I so construct the base or upset part of the looper that itiwill 'hold one side of the old loop, with which it is engaged, to the right side, as the operator sits, and back of the descending needle, so that the latter will enter the old loop. Then by continued revolution of the looper the loop it holds is upset, (see Fig. 7,) and the side of it above referred to is moved back of the needle and to the left of the needle-eye, and its bottom and other side is placed below the needle-point and to the right of the needle-eye. Finally, the looperhook takesa new loop from the needle, which it easily passes through the old loop thus spread, and a stitch is formed.

The invention consists in a sewing-machine having a suitable feed-dog and means for actuating said feed-dog in either direction, so as to feed the work either forward or back, and a looper having its base or upset portion so constructed that when the work is being fed backward and the old loop (or the one that is then held by the looper) stands in advance of the needle said base or upset portion will I hold said loop and carry it around and back of the descending needle, whereby the needle will pass through said loop and the looperhook will take the new loop from the needle and carry it through the old loop, and thus form a stitch.

The invention consists, further, in the constructions and combinations hereinafter described, and particularly pointed out in the claims.

In theaccompanying drawings, forming part of this specification, Figure 1 is an elevation and partial section of a single-thread sewing-machine embodying my invention, the looper being removed from the driving-shaft. Fig. 2 is a partial plan view of the same. Fig. 3 is a detail showing the means for adjusting the length of the backward stitch. Fig. 1 is a detail of the means for changing the feed mechanism. Fig. 5 is a detailed view showing the position of the looper when making.

the usual forward stitch, the work in this instance moving in the direction of the arrow (0. Fig. 6 is a detail showing the position of the looper in making a backward stitch, the work in this instance movingin thedirection of the arrow 6 and the looper being shown as having one strand of the old loop held by the base or upset portion of the looper and carried to one side and back of the descending needle. Fig. 7 is a detail illustrating the further movement of the looper in forming a backward stitch. Fig. 8 is a similar view showing the position of the looper near the completion of the stitch. Fig. 9 is a detail illustrating the relation of the feed-dog to the looper and other parts of the stitch-forming mechanism. Fig. 10 is a view similar to Fig. 1, showing a modified construction of the feed-dog-actuating mechanism. Fig. 11 is a detailed plan view of the parts shown in Fig. 10. Fig. 12 is an end elevation of the parts shown in Fig. 10. Fig. 13 is a view'similar to Fig. 1, showing another modification of the feed-dog-actuating mechanism. Fig. 14 is an end view of the parts shown in Fig. 13. Fig. 15 is a detail. Fig. 16 is a side view of the looper, showing also a portion of the needle and a portion of the work-plate. Fig. 17 is an end view of the looper, showing the position of the looper and 18 is a View similar to Fig. 16, showing the.

position of the strands of the loop when the looper is in the position shown in Fig. 17. Fig. 19 is a side elevation of the looper when in substantially the position shown in Fig. 5. Fig. 20 is a side view of the looper and a partial section of the driving-shaft of the machine and of the work-plate, showing also the needle in position to have a loop taken therefrom by the looper-hook.

In the accompanyingdrawings, 1 represents the frame of the machine, 2 the presser-foot, 3 the needle, 1 the needle-bar, 5 the workplate, and 6 the looper, all of these parts except the looper being of any usual or preferred construction. The looper hook or point may also be of any usual or preferred construction; but the base or upset portion of the looper is of special construction, as hereinafter pointed out.

In Fig. 1, 7 represents the hole in the driving-shaft for a illcox & Gibbs thread-looper. From the bottom side of the looper (see Figs. .16, 18, 19, and 20) a shank projects. This shank is fitted into a hole in the end of the driving-shaft 7 and issecured therein by a setscrew 76. 8 is an eccentric on said shaft for operating the feed. 9 is a strap on the eccentric 8, on which one end of the feed-dog carriage 1O rests and from which it receives an up-anddown movement. At its opposite end said carriage is supported by and rocks on a pin 11 in the frame 1 of the machine. A spring 12 between the carriage 10 and the pin 11 keeps the carriage pressed forward. The feedadjustment rod 13 is pivotally connected at 14 to the feed-dog carriage 10, and through the action of the spring 12a lug 15 on its side is kept pressed against the rocker-rod 16, which is pivotally attached at one end 17 to the frame of the machine and at its other end has an inclined plane 18, which is pressed by the action of the spring 12 through the intermediate parts against the eccentric-strap 9 and from which through the eccentric 8 it is given a vibratory movement which through the lug 15, rod 13, pin 14, and feed-dog carriage 10 it conveys back to the feed-dog 19, attached to the carriage 10 by the screw 20. Thus the feeddog 19 is raised and depressed by the eccentric 8 and receives a forward-and-backward movement through the action of the same eccentric on the free end of the rocker-rod at 18, as described. The length of the feed is adjusted by raising or depressing the lug 15 on the rod 13, which at one end 14 is pivotally attached to the feed-dog carriage 10 and at its other end has a slotted connection with a pin 21 in the piece 22, which can be rotated on the post 23 by the handle 24:. As said lug 15 is raised it comes in contact with the rocker-rod 16, where it has the greater movement, which it receives and conveys back through the intermediate parts to the feed-dog 19. By depressing said lug 15 of course the length of the feed is correspondingly lessened. By pressing the lug 15 and its connections sufficiently far back against the spring 12 so that the lug 15 will be free enough from the rockerrod 16 to allow the feed-dog 19 to be moved in a reverse direction a backward movement of the feed-dog can be made in the exact time that a forward action would have taken place. I accomplish this in the following manner: By adding the piece 25 to the free end of the rocker-rod 16 instead of an open inclined plane 18 I make it a yoke to engage the eccentric 8 and its strap 9 on two sides, lengthen the screw which holds the feed-adjusting piece 22 so that it will be a post 23 and carry a double-arm rocker-piece 26, the lower arm of which I connect by a link 27 with the rockerrod 16, and in its upper end I put a pin 28.

This connection gives an exact reverse movement to the pin 28 from that of the present feed-actuating side of the rocker-rod 16, so that by transferring the connection of the feed-dog carriage through the rod 13 and lug 15. with the actuating side of the rockerrod 16 to the rod 29, which is pivotally connected at one end 14 with the carriage 10 and at its opposite end by an open recess 30 with the reverse rocking pin 28, the carriage 10 and feed-dog 19 immediately follow the reverse movements of the pin 28 and the feeddog acts in a reverse direction above the work-plate 5 of the machine. The length of the rod 29 is such that when connected by the open slot 30 with the pin 28 the carriage 10 will be sufliciently pressed back on the spring 12 that in making a reverse or backward stitch the lug will not come in contact with the actuating side of the rocker-rod 16. The yoke on the rocker-rod 16 is necessary to counteract the reverse action of the spring 12 oocasioned when the feed-dog carriage 10 is connected by the rod 29 with the pin 28. By releasing the connection of the rod 29 with the pin 28 through the action of the spring '12 on the carriage 10 the lug 15 on the rod 13 is brought in contact with the actuating side of the rocker-rod 16 and a forward feed is made. For convenience in operating I make a slot 31 in the rod 29, which slot is engaged by a pin 32 on one end. of a double-armed rocking lever 33, that is pivoted on the pin 23. The lever 33 is slotted at its opposite end 34 and engaged by an eccentric-pin 35 in the end 36 of the adjusting-rod 37. The rod 37 is held by a bearing 38, screwed to the frame 1 of the machine, and is rotated by the handle 40, which projects just outside of the edge of the work-plate. The range of rotation of the rod 37 is limited to connecting and disconnecting the slot 30 of the rod 29 with the pin 28 by the notches or recesses 41 in its bearings 38, into which the handle is drawn by the action of the spring 39 between'the bearing 38 and end 36. When the handle 40 is set in either of the recesses 41 through the action of the spring 39, the pin 32, which engages the slot 31 in the rod 29, is also firmly set. hen the directv or forward feed is being used through the lug 15 pressing against the actuating side of the rocker-rod 16, there is a moment during each revolution of the driving-shaft when the pin 28 is almost over the open recess 30 in the rod 29, and a slight pressure on the handle 40 will bring them into positive connection and a reverse or backward action of the feed takes place at whatever speed the machine may be driven without strain or injury, while a reverse pressure on the handle will release the recess 30 from the pin 28, and a forward feed will then take place. I have shown the link 27 connected with the rocker-rod 16 at the point 42, where the feed-register shows twenty stitches to the inch. Consequently the backward stitch will be about that number to the inch.

If it is desired to make the backward stitch adjustable in length, it can be done by making the rocker-rod 16 with a longitudinal slot 43, Fig. 3, with a pin at 42 in the link 27, fitted to said slot and extending into a reverse slot 44 in the feed-adjustment rod 13. As the adjustment-rod 13 is raised or lowered through the pivoted piece 22 and handle 24 it will carry the pin at 42 in the link 27 up or down in the slot 43 in the rocker 16, and the stitch will be lengthened or shortened.

A reversible feed may be placed on any sewing-machine by having the feed-actuating mechanism operate two points, giving them reverse movements to each other and providing means for transferring the connection with the feed-dog from one to the other, as desired.

If desired, instead of the-detachable connection of the rod 29 from the pin 28 described in order to make a backward feed both of the rods 29 and 13 may have a detachable connec' tion with the pin 14, as shown in Figs. 10, 11,

and 12. In Fig. 10 I show the rod 29 pivotally attached to the double-arm rocker 26 at 28 and having a slotted connection 44 with an eccentric-pin 43 in the carriage-supporting pin 11. At its end 45 it is connected by a link 47 with a piece 64, (shown in detail in Fig-15,) which swings in a slotted connection on a pin 65 in a lug which projects from the bottom of the feed-dog carriage 10. The feed-adjusting rod 13 has a swinging connection with the piece 64 M66. The piece 64 has an open recess 48, and the rod 29 has an open recess 49 facing 48 to engage the pin 14 in the carriagelO. By raising the eccentric-pin 43 the open recess 48 will be brought into connection with the pin 14, while the open recess 49 in therod 29 will be freed from said pin 14, and a forward feed will take place through the connection of the pin 64 with the rod 13 and its lug 15, being acted upon by the rocker-rod 16. pression of the eceentric-pin 43 the recess 48 will be freed from the pin 14 in the feed-dog carriage 10, and said pin 14 will be engaged by the recess 49 in the rod 29, and, since the rod 29, through the rocker-arm 26 and link 27, receives a reverse movement from the rockerrod 16, a backward-feeding movement will be given to the feed-dog carriage and feed-dog. The link 47, which connects the ends of the rod 29 and piece 64, will providefor the reverse By a de-,

machine, I place a second cam 69 on said shaft, having exactly a reverse movement to the first ,and which operates a'seeond rocker-rod 67,

pivoted at one end on the same pin 17 as the rocker-rod 16 and at its other end engaging said cam 69 with a yoke. At 68 I pivotally attach to said rocker-rod 67 a rod 70. Further, I make an open recess 49 in said rod in a suitable position to be brought into engagement with the pin 14 in the feed-dog carriage 10, and at its extreme end I make a link connection 71 with a crank 72, having its bearing in the frame 1 of the machine. The opposite end of the crank 72 I connect by the link 7 3 With the piece 64, attached to the feeddog carriage 10, as explained already. A rotation of the crank 72 Will bring the open recess 48 in connection with the pin 14 in the carriage 10 and free the recess 49, when a forward feed will take place. A reverse movement will free the recess 48 and engage the recess 49, when a backward feed will follow.

In Figs. 10 and 12 I lengthen the carriagesupporting pin 11, carrying the eccentric-pin 43, so that it will extend through the frame 1 of the machine, which will give it a long bearing 50 and have at its outer end a handle 40 to rotat-e it. ()n the frame-bearing 50 I attach a spring 50, which will engage in suitable recesses in a collar 40, attached to the rod 11 by the handle 40. The handle 40 has sufficient movement to bring the open recesses 48 and 49 of the rod 29 and piece 64 alternately into or out of engagementwith the pin 14 in the carriage 10, and the spring 50 by its action will hold them in the position desired.

The device for holding the crank 72 in a position for engaging or disengaging the open recesses 48 or 49 in the piece 64 and rod 70 with the pin 14 shown in Figs. 13 and 14 is similar to that shown in Figs. 10 and 12, ex-

cept the carriage-holding pin 11 is not used ating points moving reversely to one another and that when one of the points is acting on the feed-dog the other is out of operation.

As already stated. the looper 6 is constructed, so far as the point or hook is concerned, like the looper ordinarily employed on the Nillcox & Gibbs Automatic machine; but I construct the base or upset portion of the looper 6 6 6 (see Figs. 16, 17, and 19) in the form of a thread-carrier and spreader, so that in backward sewing it will hold the loop, which in this instance will stand in advance of the needle, and will carry it to the side and back of the needle, for the purpose already explained. For this purpose I provide the base of the looper with a threadcarrying face 6 Figs. 16 and 17, and I make the usual notch 6 in the looper somewhat deeper than that usually employed, so that the looper will hold the old loop taut and spread until the looper-hook has taken the new loop from the needle and passed it through the old loop. The end view of the looper (shown in Fig. 17) shows the base at right angles to the axis of the looper to be of the ordinary wedge shape, and where the faces 6 and 6 meet they form a rounded edge farthest from the looper-axis at 6 and nearest at 6". The point 6 rotates in the same plane with the point 6. A plane at right angles to the axis passing through the point of the hook at 6 is midway between similar planes passing through the points 6 and 6, Fig. 16. The shoulder or wall of the looper at the point where the notch 6 (see Fig. 7) is formed is preferably raised sufficiently in its relation to the point of the looper-hook so that the thread stretching from its notch 66 (see Fig. 7) to the work-plate needle-throat will be above and clear of the line of rotation of said hook. When the needle is above the work-plate. the hook 6 is passing the position shown in Fig. 17 and the strands of the loop which it is holding are on either side of the wedge-shaped base 6 6" 6 (see Fig. 17) and are held on the neck 6, Fig. 18, well to the side of the line of descent of the needle. I/Vhen the needle has descended to the position shown in Fig. 6, the looper has moved and its face '6 holds the strand of the loop which is against it and carries it, (though in the work in front of the needle) to the side and back of the needle, as shown in Fig. 6 and (side view) Fig. 18. Continued rotation causes said strand, through the action of the rounded edge 6 6", (see Fig. 20,) to leave the face 6 and slip up to the notch 6 on the opposite side of the needle from 6, where it is held. The other strand is held by the neck 6", and the loop is spread'for the hook to take a new loop from the needle, as shown in Figs. 20 and 7. Further rotation causes the hook to take a new loop from the needle to pass it through and drop the old loop, (see Fig. 8,) and the loop is raised above the work-plate by the action of the feed. WVith the looper thus constructed when the feed is forward the operation will be the same, substantially, in forming a stitch as with the looper now employed. The old lo0pthat is, the last one formed will stand back of the needle, as illustrated in Fig. 5 of the drawings, and the looperhook Will take a new loop from the needle and pass it through the old loop in the ordinary manner. When, however, the backward feed is employed, the old loop will stand in front of the needle, and with a looper of the usual construction the loop would be upset or cast off from the looper before the new loop were en- IIO gaged by the looper-hook. The position of the old loop is illustrated in Fig. 6 of the drawings, in which, however, it is shown with one thread carried by the looper past the needle. As shown in Fig. 6, the recess 6 on the looperbase, which acts as a thread-carrier, engages the thread forming one side of the loop and carries it past, to one side. and back of the needle. This thread, owing to the continued rotation of the looper, then slides from the recess 6 to the notch 6 as illustrated in Fig. 7, and stretches from said notch to the needlethroat above the line of movement of the looper-hook, and the loop is properly spread at right angles to the line of rotation of the looper, so that its hook, taking a new loop from the needle, passes it through the old loop and the stitch is formed. The essential point in this operation is to carry one of the threads of the old loop (it may be either one) back of and around the needle and then to spread the old loop, so that the looper-hook will take a new loop from the needle and pass it through the old loop to make a reverse or backward stitch. I do not, therefore, limit myself to any exact shape 'or arrangement of the threadcarrier and spreader that is provided on the base or upset portion of the looper, as any means arranged on the base of the looperthat will engage one of the threads of the old loop and carry it back of and around the needle and then spread said loop, so that the looperhook will take a new loop from the needle and pass it through the old loop to make a reverse or backward stitch, will be within the scope of my invention. I prefer to have the point of the needle-throat in the work-plate nearest the operator close to theneedle where it passes through it, so that the threads of the old loop will be held close to the needle and one of its threads may be more easily passed around to the side and back of the needle, as set forth.

While the teeth of the feed-dog, as they are made at present, seem to move the Work very well, their shape may be changed in any suitable way to have a better hold on the material in backward feeding.

.l. have described inthe foregoing specification and illustrated in the accompanyingdrawings three different constructions by which the reversible movements of the feed-dog and its carriage may be obtained. In each instance the feed-dog carriage is capable of being operated from the driving-shaft through either one of two actuating devices, and while the machine is in operation either actuating device may be disconnected from the feed-dog carriage and the other one connected thereto, and thus the movement of the feed-dog carriage and feed-dog may be reversed at will without stopping the operation of the machine. I do not, however, limit myself to any particular construction of actuating mechanisms for the feed-dog carriage, as other suitable mechanisms may be substituted for those herein shown and described without departing from my invention.

I claim as my invention 1. The combination, in a single-thread sewing-machine, with aneedle,presser-foot,workplate and reversible feed, of a looper having a thread-carrying base or upset portion shaped to spread the loop which stands in front of the needle when the work is fed backward so that the needle will enter the same and the looper-hook will take a new loop from the needle and pass it through the old loop, thus spread, to form a stitch.

2. The combination, in a ,reversiblefeed single-thread sewing-machine, with a needle, work-plate and presser-foot, of a looper provided at its base with means when the old loop is in the material forward of the needle to carry one of the strands to the right and back to enable the descending needle to enter said I loop, then to throw said strand back of and to the opposite side of said needle, then, to raise said strand sufficiently above the line of rotation of the looper-hook and hold the other strand thereby spreading the loop so that the looper-hook can take a new loop from the needle and pass it through said old loop and finally free itself from said old loop, thus placed around the new loop to make a stitch.

3. In a single-thread sewing-machine, the combination, with a reversible reciprocating feed mechanism, of a looper provided at its base with means to move one strand of the old loop to the side of and parallel to the plane 7 of rotation of the looper-hook, thus enabling the descending needle to enter the loop, afterward, to carry said strand of said old loop back of and to the side of said needle, and, in doing so, to raise said strand above the line of rotation of the point of the hook and spread said loop at relatively right angles to said line of rotation of the looper to permit its book to take a new loop from the needle, pass it through said old loop and finally free itself from said old loop thus placed around the new loop to make a backward stitch.

4. The combination, in a single-thread, sewing-machine, with the needle, presser-foot,and Work-plate. of a reversible reciprocating feed mechanism, and a looper provided at its base with means to carry one thread of the loop which it is holding to the side and back of the needle and spread said loop so thatthe looperhook can take a new loop from the needle and pass said loop through the old loop which it is holding when the feed is reversed.

5. The combination with a needle and means for operating the same, and with a reversible feed mechanism, of a looper provided with 'means for attachment to the rotating shaft,

and having a hook and cast-off point on one movements by a single eccentric on the driving-shaft of the machine, and a looper arranged to take a loop from theneedle and engage the same with the previous loop during either a forward or backward feeding of the material, for the purpose set forth.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand this 23d day of September, 1903.

JOHN BIGELOW In presence of A. C. PAUL, C. G. HANSON. 

